Utah reports another 467 cases of coronavirus on Saturday.
(Francisco Kjolseth | Tribune file photo) Nurse Julia Paas, right, discusses information with Betsy Altschuler as she prepares to receive her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at Utah Film Studios in Park City on Thursday, March 18, 2021.
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Another 467 Utahns have tested positive for the coronavirus, health officials reported Saturday, but the number of people hospitalized seriously ill with the disease has dropped in the last day.
The daily test positivity rate was slightly below the seven-day average, although an infectious disease doctor expressed concern on Friday that the state’s daily cases may be leveling off rather than dropping further, encouraging people not to be on the lookout just yet.
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said Saturday that she has not ruled out assuming a local mask mandate after April 10, when requirements for statewide facial coverage were to lapse under a recent legislature. bill passed by Utah. The measure, yet to be signed by Governor Spencer Cox, would allow county and city councils to set their own mandates – but they would also expire once the state meets certain virus control benchmarks.
Utah is already close to meeting the thresholds set out in the bill.
Wilson said the most likely scenario for a county-wide mandate would be if the health department recommends one and the county council approves it.
“We are currently working on those options and are waiting for the bill to be passed,” she said.
The state’s two major local leaders are now in a similar stance when it comes to the possibility of establishing mask mandates after April 10, with Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall saying earlier this week that city attorneys are evaluating the option. Mendenhall has also asked local businesses to keep enforcing masks until public health officials say it’s safe to go without them, and Wilson said she supports this advice.
Vaccine Doses Administered Over the Last Day / Total Doses Administered • 25,861 / 1,137,046.
Utahns fully vaccinated • 413,058.
Cases reported in the past day • 467
Deaths reported in the past day • 2.
Davis County reported a single death: a man between the ages of 65 and 84.
One death was reported in Weber County, a man aged 65 to 85.
Hospital admissions reported in the past day • 160. That’s 16 less than Friday. Of those currently hospitalized, 57 are in intensive care units – four fewer than on Friday.
Tests reported in the past day • 6,451 people were first tested. A total of 14,990 people were tested.
Percentage of positive tests • Under the state’s original method, the rate is 7.1%. That is lower than the seven-day average of 8.1%.
The new method counts all test results, including repeated tests from the same person. The rate for Saturday is now 3.1%, lower than the seven-day average of 4.1%.
[Read more: Utah is changing how it measures the rate of positive COVID-19 tests. Here’s what that means.]
Totals so far • 381,254 cases; 2,060 dead; 15,267 hospital admissions; 2,327,182 people tested.
Tribune reporter Leia Larsen contributed to this report.